Breathe into my hands
by Bluebellskin
Summary: Kirk and Spock are now bondmates, and they have developed a habit of showering together each morning. Nudity and sensuality, but no actual sex. Kirk/Spock, established relationship, fluff  in a good way though , etc.


I thought I might try that 'write a fanfic based on what your playlist does on shuffle' thing, so I was listening to my music, seeing if I could adapt anything a Kirk/Spock way. What came on was 'Glass Vase Cello Case' by Tattle Tale. It's an absolutely transcendently beautiful song, which I usually associate more with female gay relationships because I discovered it from the soundtrack of 'But I'm A Cheerleader'. But when I listened to it, the words seemed to conjure an image in my head so perfect I had to write it down! I have no idea if relationships can work in such a... well, innocent way in real life (real live asexual here), but I certainly hope they can!

Disclaimer: I own nothing of either Star Trek or the song. Well, here goes:

_'Breathe into my hands_

_Or cup them like a glass to drink from...'_

-Glass Vase Cello Case lyrics.

Spock would never admit this to the world at large, but if he allowed himself to sleep as a human did, he was rather drowsy in the mornings. Most of the time at night he merely put himself into a meditative trance to recuperate, knowing that he would be needed immediately on the bridge if there were a red alert, but since he had started sleeping in Captain Kirk's quarters so often... well, he was lapsing.

Not that his Captain had much energy to tease him about it, however- he himself was even worse, so despite a few feeble attempts to tease Spock and provoke a reaction about it, in the end he had gracefully conceded defeat.

They first started taking a shower together in the mornings in order to wake each other up with a quick rush of adrenaline and love, but over time it had just become their habit. Even if they had slept separately and did not wish to actually go further than washing each other, they would still wake at the same time to go into the bathroom connecting their quarters and have this early-morning shower. It was reassuring, it was just what they did now, and both appreciated this special time and the physical contact it brought. Even though if Spock was alone he still very much preferred the sonic showers to its inefficient, water-based alternative, he now found it necessary to his mental well-being to have this daily assurance that his bondmate was there, and to feel him skin to skin. In the normal line of duty he was stiff, unflinching, touching no-one, so this contact provided a very tangible physical relief that he could feel instantly undoing the tension he built up day by day.

Today was one of those days where he had woken up in Jim's arms after a night of human-like sleep, and they both made their way groggily into the warm stream of water. Jim ran his hand through Spock's hair in order to make it stick out of its natural tidy state, and Spock felt his lazy amusement through the bond and by the fond expression on his face. He did not adjust it immediately, instead opting to pull him close and start to wash his back, slow and gentle caresses to aid the rinsing of a night's sweat spent in the raised temperature he now kept in his quarters to accommodate Spock's desert physiology. He returned the favour, tracing his thumb slowly down the raised vertebrae of his slender Vulcan's backbone, the landscape of his back as familiar to him now as the back of his hand, kissing his neck softly as he did it. Spock was thirsty after the night they had just had, and so he drew back, running his hands slowly down Jim's soft golden arms, feeling with pleasure the firm bumps of his muscles, trailing his palms down until he reached his Captain's hands. With his long hands now around the back of Jim's, he formed them into a cup shape. Jim stared, wondering what his t'hy'la was going to do. The hands filled with a pool of the warm shower water and Spock bent himself reverently to drink. Jim felt a surge of love and wonderment that he was able to see Spock like this, so beautiful and unguarded, glistening with the water and with his hair still halfway sticking up, naked and unselfconscious. He also marvelled at Vulcan sensuality and how much of it involved using the hands, naturally much more so than any other race he'd been with. Having drunk his fill, Spock stroked his fingers down the hands and let the remaining water fall, straightening up to wrap his arms around his Captain again. Kirk, however, had other ideas. He also drew slowly back and repeated the action on Spock, noting the small sound his Vulcan made as he felt Jim's cool breath against his wet fingertips. Jim let go and let the water fall, and Spock moved his hands up to cup Jim's face as his Captain straightened. He pulled him into a deep kiss, fingers positioned carefully on the meld points to ensure his tender feelings would flow into his bondmate with full force as they pressed their bodies together. They leaned against one another once they had finished, just cradling each other and feeling their deep relaxed breathing synchronised through the bond. Their ribcages expanded, then contracted beneath the gentle press of their finely muscled arms wrapped around each other. Breathing in, breathing out. In... and out. They remained there for a timeless age, concious only of one another, at one within their bond, until Spock with a sigh reluctantly drew away to look into Jim's eyes.

"I regret to end this moment, t'hy'la, but if we wish to attend our shifts on time, it must pass," he intoned.

"I know, I know," grumbled Jim, remembering his promise to himself that their relationship was not to interfere with his duties. "How long have we got?"

"Approximately 15 minutes until we are expected on the bridge, Captain. If we aim to dry ourselves, get dressed and have some kind of breakfast, we need to hurry."

Kirk felt a faint stab of panic at the shortness of time, but still pulled his First Officer into a quick, fierce hug before exiting the shower with haste lest temptation got the better of him and he broke his promise. Again.

Later, on the bridge, both busied themselves with their usual enthusiasm for the day's tasks. Kirk positively glowed nowadays, more than he always had, and Spock did not realise it (still priding himself as he always did with his Vulcan emotional restraint) but the usually stern First Officer had become friendlier with the other crew members and was more likely to facilitate a conversation than he had been before. Now, having got past the initial buzz of work that always awaited him, the Captain reclined in his chair, becoming absorbed in the beauty of the stars in his viewing screen as he often did when there was a lull in his workload. Spock turned around in his chair briefly to watch his Captain in this state, and felt a spark of mischief. He turned back towards his console, closed his eyes, and _breathed_.

Captain Kirk felt this through the bond, and closed his eyes as well, remembering how they had communed that morning. Relaxation flooded him. The world melted away as he also began to breathe deeply, in time with Spock. In, one, two three, out, one two, three. Spock carefully shielded his growing amusement from Kirk as this continued, and his sensitive hearing picked up Chekov nudging Sulu and whispering "Look, the Keptin...!" Both of the helmsmen turned around to look, and noticed Uhura also looking puzzled between the Captain and Mr. Spock. They caught her eye whereupon she clicked what was going on and started stifling her bubbling giggles with both hands. This reduced Sulu and Chekov to a similar state. It was into this particular scene that at that convenient point Dr. McCoy intruded, much to Spock's satisfaction. He was sure that his Captain was too far into his mind by now to be immediately disturbed by noise.

"Hey Jim, I've brought those medical reports you asked for..." He stopped in his tracks at the lack of response, before glancing round the bridge team to gauge their responses. All were looking at the scene with great amusement, except for Spock, who was turned away and breathing deeply, in time with the Captain's breaths. He immediately worked out what was going on here. "Ohh," he grumbled, whacking the Captain lightly over the head with the reports to end the trancelike state "get a room, you two!"

Captain Kirk came to with a jolt, his face reddening as he remembered where he was.

"Spock...!" he exclaimed indignantly as his bondmate turned around. That set the crew off. Uproarious laughter filled the room, Spock contributing with his eyebrow quirked in a superior way. But the one who was laughing hardest of all, despite his red face, was one Captain James T. Kirk, eyes bright with tears of laughter as he gazed at the love of his life. Because, after all, he was laughing for two now.


End file.
